Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the induced and tuned desired graphene pattern" in section (g) of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chyan et al. (“Laser-Induced Graphene by Multiple Lasing: Toward Electronics on Cloth, Paper and Food” ACS Nano, 2018, 12, pp. 2176-2183).
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Chyan teaches that it is known to form LIG (title) on a substrates wherein all substrates on which LIG is deposited are inherently capable of LIG patterning, wherein Chyan generally teaches varying fluence levels in multiples passes (see pg. 2180, first full paragraph) wherein the substrates are patterned (see Fig. 1) with a surface morphology wherein the lasing takes place in open air (see description of Table 1), wherein reasonably the product of Chyan is configured for its end use at the point at which its processing is completed even if the processing continues further.
Regarding claim 9, Chyan further teaches that the use of multiple passes result in an effect on surface morphology (see last line of first partial paragraph of pg. 2180).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 6-8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chyan et al. (“Laser-Induced Graphene by Multiple Lasing: Toward Electronics on Cloth, Paper and Food” ACS Nano, 2018, 12, pp. 2176-2183) as applied to claims 1, 5 and 9 above and further in view of Huang et al. (“Direct Laser Writing of Transparent Polyimide Film for Supercapacitor”, Nanomaterials, 2020, 10, 2547, pp. 1-10).
Regarding claims 6-7, the teachings of Chyan are as shown above. Chyan fails to teach wherein the pattern formed is that of an interdigitated set of electrodes. However, Huang teaches that it is known to form LIG (abstract) in a pattern of interdigitated electrodes for the purposes of forming a micro super capacitor (see Fig. 1) wherein capacitors are known energy storage modules. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the graphene layers of Chyan in the form of interdigitated electrodes as in Huang in order to use the graphene layers as micro super capacitors.
Regarding claim 8, Huang teaches that an additional step of the formation process includes functionalizing the electrodes with an electrolyte.
Regarding claims 17, the teachings of Chyan are as shown above. Chyan fails to teach wherein the pattern formed is that of an interdigitated set of electrodes. However, Huang teaches that it is known to form LIG (abstract) in a pattern of interdigitated electrodes for the purposes of forming a micro super capacitor (see Fig. 1) wherein capacitors are known energy storage modules. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the graphene layers of Chyan in the form of interdigitated electrodes as in Huang in order to use the graphene layers as micro super capacitors.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chyan et al. (“Laser-Induced Graphene by Multiple Lasing: Toward Electronics on Cloth, Paper and Food” ACS Nano, 2018, 12, pp. 2176-2183) as applied to claims 1, 5 and 9 above and further in view of Wang et al. (“Laser-induced porous graphene on Polyimide/PDMS composites and its kirigami-inspired strain sensor” Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Letters, 11, 202021, pp. 1-4)
Regarding claim 18, the teachings of Chyan are as shown above. Dhar fails to teach moving the laser employed to form the graphene layers using a CAD based system. However, Wang teaches that it is known to operate graphene forming laser in a variety of patterns to form a variety of products using CAD direction (see pg. 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the CAD system of Wang to control the laser deposition system of Chyan as application of a known laser movement and control system applied to a known laser deposition system ready for improvement to yield predictable results based upon the teachings of Wang.
Regarding claim 19, the laser movement system of Wang would be considered a “manipulator”.
Regarding claim 20, the fabrication system of Chyan in view of Wang would reasonably be considered “scalable”.
Claims 31-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chyan et al. (“Laser-Induced Graphene by Multiple Lasing: Toward Electronics on Cloth, Paper and Food” ACS Nano, 2018, 12, pp. 2176-2183) as applied to claims 1, 5 and 9 above and further in view of Griesche et al. (“Substrate-Independent Laser-Induced Graphene Electrodes for Microfluidic Electroanalytical Systems”, Applied Nano Materials, 2021, 4, 3144-3121).
Regarding claims 31-32, the teachings of Chyan are as shown above. Chyan fails to teach wherein the end use of the product is for the purpose of forming the LIG pattern into open microfluidics comprising electrochemical cells. However, Griesche teaches that it is known to form LIG electrode materials into devices comprising electrochemical cells (see Fig. 5 and description thereof) thereby making the substrates useful for electrochemical sensing (see Conclusions and Abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the LIG of Chyan into substrates like those of Griesche or transfer the LIG of Chyan into substrates like those of Griesche in order to make the LIG formed material of Chyan useful as an application of a known technique to a known device ready for improvement wherein the results of the application would have been predictable based upon the teachings of Chyan and Griesche separately.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-25 and 33-38 were allowed.
Claims 4 and 10 were objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
It is noted that claims 11-16 would also likely be allowable if 112 issues were resolved as relates to those claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance and indicating allowable subject matter: it is not known in the prior art to fabricate on a substrate a laser-induced graphene (LIG) patterning comprising: selecting a substrate capable of LIG patterning, selecting a laser having an adjustable fluence, determining a desired LIG patterning for the substrate, determining a desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the desired LIG patterning and with one laser sub-system, scribing in open ambient air the desired LIG patterning by controlling fluence of the laser at the LIG patterning effective to tunably produce the desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the desired patterning, wherein the scribing in open air comprises either one of a single lasing in a first pass of the laser at a first fluence, a double lasing in a first pass of the laser at a first fluence and a second pass of the laser over at least a portion of the first pass at a second fluence and a triple, quadruple, or more lasing(s) over the same or different parts of the first lasing or other portions of the substrate, wherein the scribing in open air comprises at least two passes of the laser, wherein the second fluence is at a lower power and speed than the first fluence to convert superhydrophilic r hydrophilic LIG to hydrophobic or superhydrophobic LIG as in claim 4 or to
fabricate on a substrate a laser-induced graphene (LIG) patterning for an end use comprising selecting a substrate capable of LIG patterning, selecting a laser having an adjustable fluence, determining a desired LIG patterning for the substrate, determining a desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for one or more portions of the desired LIG patterning; and with one laser sub-system scribing in open ambient air the desired LIG patterning by controlling fluence of the laser at the LIG patterning effective to tunably produce the desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the one or more portions of the desired LIG patterning wherein the scribing in open ambient air comprises at least two passes of the laser, wherein the at least two passes comprise one of(i) a double lasing in a first pass of the laser at a first fluence and a second pass of the laser over at least a portion of the first pass at a second fluence, and (ii) triple, quadruple, or more lasing(s) over the same or different parts of the first pass or other portions of the substrate at the same or different fluences, wherein the first fluence in one of the at least two passes comprises a first laser pulse density, and the second fluence at another of the passes comprises a second laser pulse density lower than that of the first fluence and configuring the induced and tuned desired graphene pattern for the end use wherein the first fluence of one pass is for the entire desired LIG patterning, and is effective to produce a first desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the entire desired LIG patterning, and the second fluence for another pass is for one or more portions of the entire desired LIG patterning and is effective to produce a second desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the one or more portions that differs from one or more of electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the first desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability wherein the desired LIG patterning comprises an open microfluidic circuit where the one or more portions of the desired LIG patterning are sidewalls bounding an open microfluidic track, wherein the first fluence produces at least a hydrophilic LIG at the track and the second fluence produces near or hydrophobic or super hydrophobic LIG at the sidewalls as in claim 10 or to
fabricate on a substrate a laser-induced graphene (LIG) patterning for open surface microfluidic fluid transport with flow division to a plurality of sensors comprising selecting a substrate capable of LIG patterning, selecting a laser having an adjustable fluence and speed, determining a desired LIG patterning comprising one or more microfluidic tracks with sidewalls for open surface microfluidic fluid transport, flow division, and sensing zones of sensor sensing elements, single lasing in open ambient air the desired LIG patterning for the one or more track tracks and sidewalls of the open surface microfluidics and sensing zones of the sensor sensing elements at sensing zones by controlling fluence and speed of the laser in a first pass of the laser, double lasing one or more portions of the single lased LIG patterning to tunably produce a different surface wettability for the one or more double lased portions at a desired electrical conductivity and surface morphology for selected said sidewalls of the open surface microfluidics and selected sensing zones of the sensor sensing elements and functionalizing the sensor sensing elements for electrochemical sensing as in claim 21 or to
fabricating on a substrate a laser-induced graphene (LIG) patterning comprising selecting a substrate capable of LIG patterning, selecting a laser having an adjustable fluence, determining a desired LIG patterning for the substrate, determining a desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for one or more portions of the desired LIG patterning, with one laser sub-system scribing in open ambient air the desired LIG patterning by controlling fluence of the laser at the LIG patterning effective to tunably produce the desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the one or more portions of the desired LIG patterning, wherein the scribing in open ambient air comprises at least two passes of the laser, wherein the at least two passes comprise one of (i) a double lasing in a first pass of the laser at a first fluence and a second pass of the laser over at least a portion of the first pass at a second fluence, and (ii) triple, quadruple, or more lasing(s) over the same or different parts of the first pass or other portions of the substrate at the same or different fluences, wherein the first fluence in one of the at least two passes comprises a first laser pulse density, and the second fluence at another of the passes comprises a second laser pulse density lower than that of the first fluence wherein the first fluence of one pass is for the entire desired LIG patterning, and is effective to produce a first desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the entire desired LIG patterning, and the second fluence for another pass is for one or more portions of the entire desired LIG patterning and is effective to produce a second desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the one or more portions that differs from one or more of electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability for the first desired electrical conductivity, surface morphology, and/or surface wettability wherein the desired LIG patterning comprises an open microfluidic circuit where the one or more portions of the desired LIG patterning are sidewalls bounding an open microfluidic track, wherein the first fluence of one pass is selected for a desired surface wettability of the open microfluidic track producing at least a hydrophilic LIG at the open microfluidic track and the second fluence for another pass is selected for a desired surface wettability of the sidewalls producing hydrophobic or super hydrophobic LIG at the sidewalls as in claim 33.
A pertinent prior art (previously cited as Dhar et al.) teaches that it is known to deposit graphene on a substrate using laser ablation in controllable patterns. However, Dhar fails to teach the use of multiple laser passes with varying laser fluence as in claims 3 or 21, especially so as to alter surface wettability as in claim 11.
Another prior art (previously cited as Huang et al.) generally teaches LIG methodologies but is largely unrelated to the problems solved by the current application.
Another prior art (previously cited as Wang et al.) generally teaches the use of LIG methodologies but is largely unrelated to the problems solve by the current application.
Another prior art (currently cited as Chyan et al.) teaches that it is known to deposit graphene coatings on surfaces using LIG technology but fails to do so in multiple passes thereby controlling surface wetting of double lased portions.
Another prior art (previously cited as Griesche et al.) teaches that it is known to deposit LIG into microfluidic channels in electrical devices for the purposes of forming electrochemical sensing devices but is otherwise largely unrelated to the problems solved by the current claims.
Any considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
In general, the applicant amended the claims and did not provided arguments related to claims and instead amended the claims.
Conclusion
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/ANDREW J BOWMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 1717